Top 10 Muslim Female Athletes In The World

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10. Sara Khoshjamal Fekri – Iran

Sara Khoshjamal Fekri is the first Iranian female taekwondo Olympic qualifier. She competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics and reached till quarter-finals. She has won three gold medals and one silver medal in many International Taekwondo Tournaments.

9. Ghada Shouaa – Syrian

Ghada Shouaa rose to prominence in her spectacular performance in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. She came out with the gold medal in the heptathlon and has won other medals in numerous Asian and World games.

8. Sheikha Maitha Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Maktoum – UAE

Sheikha Maitha Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Maktoum is a martial arts athlete and the daughter of the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed-bin-Rashid Al Maktoum. She won the Over 60 kg karate silver medal at the 2006 Doha Asian Games. She has competed in taekwondo at the 2008 Olympics in the 67 kg category for women. She was the first Gulf woman to be the flagbearer for UAE at the Olympics.

7. Kiran Khan – Pakistan

Kiran Khan has the honour of being the only female swimmer to win a gold medal for Pakistan in an international event. She first came to national attention at the 28th Pakistan National Games in 2001, where she won seven gold medals, three silver medals and three bronze medals. She has also represented Pakistan in SAF Games, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and Summer Olympics of 2008, and performed really well. She was able to win a total of 16 medals, including silver and bronze, during these events. She was finally able to bag the gold medal in the 2007 South Asian Swimming and Water Polo Championship.

6. Sheikha Latifa Bint Ahmed Al Maktoum – UAE

The cousin of the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed-bin-Rashid Al Maktoum. Sheikha Latifa Bint Ahmed Al Maktoum is an equestrian champion particularly, known for show jumping and has won many medals at regional equestrian championships. She won team bronze medal at the 2006 Doha Asian Games. Later on, she bagged an individual silver medal at the 2010 Asian Games.

5. Nawal El Moutawakel – Morocco

Nawal El Moutawakel has the distinction of being the first ever Muslim woman to win a Gold Medal in Olympics She went against all the odds and became victorious. She participated in the 400m hurdles race at the 1984 Summer Olympics. She bagged two golds in the Mediterranean Games in 1983 and 1987. She was one of the eight bearers of the Olympic flag at the 2006 Winter Olympics.

4. Rania Elwani – Egypt

Rania Elwani got the title “The Golden Fish” by the media because of her outstanding record in swimming. She is among the 11 best swimmers in the world in the 100m freestyle race. She trained for 17 years at El-Ahly Sporting club. She has been winning championships since the age of 8. Moreover, she has participated and made great achievements in many African, Mediterranean and Arab Games. She won two gold medals at the Mediterranean Games. She has won 77 medals at the national level.

Rania Elwani represented Egypt three times at 1992, 1996 and 2000 Olympics. She retired from swimming at the age of 22 in 2000. She is the founder of the Egyptian Olympians Association and Technical Supervisor for the Egyptian National Swimming Team. She strongly advocates peace through sports and is extremely active in finding solutions to the development issues in her region. Rania Elwani is also a doctor specialized in obstetrics and gynaecology. Presently, she is a physician in obstetrics and gynaecology, at Ain Shams University Hospital, Egypt.

3. Roqaya Al Gassra – Bahrain

Roqaya Al Gassra was the first Bahraini woman to participate in Olympics. She made history when she became the first Muslim woman to wear hijab at Olympics. She competed in the women’s 100 metres sprint at the Olympics in 2004 and 2008. She was the flag bearer for Bahrain at the 2008 Olympics. She was the first woman to win an athletics race at the West Asian Games competing in the 100m at the 2005 edition. Roqaya Al Gassra has won two gold medals in Arab Athletics Championships. She has bagged a gold medal, three silvers and a bronze while competing in a number of Asian Indoor Championships and Asian Games. She retired from International Sports in 2009.

2. Hassiba Boulmerka – Algeria

Hassiba Boulmerka is a former middle distance athlete. She was the first Algerian and Arab woman to win an Olympic gold medal in the middle distance running. She got serious about running at the age of ten, specializing in the 800 and 1500 metres. She was very successful in regional and national races. She was the first African woman to win an Athletics World title at the World Championships in 1991. She bagged gold medals in the 800m and a 1500m event at the Mediterranean Games held in 1991 and was also able to defend both the titles two years later.

She competed in the Olympics twice, in 1988 and 1992. She started receiving death threats while preparing for Olympics and it became too dangerous for her to train in her own country. However, she didn’t give up and furthermore was able to get an Olympic title in 1992, after a stunning victory. She became the second Muslim woman ever to win an Olympic gold. Later on, she won a bronze medal at the 1993 World Championships. She announced her retirement from sports in 1997. Hassiba Boulmerka got elected to the Athletes Commission of the International Olympic Committee. Currently, she is a successful business woman in Algeria.

1. Laila Ali – USA

The Muslim female athlete Laila Ali is the daughter of the legendary heavyweight champion, Muhammad Ali. She is a former professional boxer who holds an exemplary record of a 24-0 throughout her boxing career. She was just 18 when she started boxing. Before that, she was a manicurist and owned a nail salon. She was an unbeaten and triumphant boxer and set an extraordinary example in female boxing history. Her various achievements include the World Boxing Council, Women’s International Boxing Association, International Women’s Boxing Federation and International Boxing Association female super middleweight titles and the IWBF light heavyweight title. Laila Ali proved that nothing is impossible if you stay focused and are willing to do anything for it. They are definitely a source of great inspiration for everyone.